Central/West-Central Illinois Crop Report 6/23/25

A drive through WC/C IL late last week showed a sizable fraction of the soybean crop still fighting to get past the “early-season” uglies—the typical yellow-green look we see every year. That story began to shift over the weekend as heat drove further root development, turning the countryside (in many places) a more satisfying dark green.

As we would expect, given variable planting dates, crop development remains diverse. The bean crop currently averages 6 to 7 nodes, with the earliest-planted fields showing 10 to 11 nodes and the latest-planted showing 3 to 4. Rows in many areas have begun to canopy, and our first batch of flowers can now be observed in several locations.

Weed control has been a recent point of discussion. Some of those conversations have included concerns about damaging the first flush of flowers, particularly where weed pressure has been more difficult to manage.

The southeastern portion of this area is experiencing what Southern Illinoisans know too well—the rain never wanted to shut off, and now it seems to have disappeared.

Japanese beetle emergence began last week, and grape colaspis adults will soon follow.

In other row crop news, tassels began emerging in our earliest-planted corn fields over the weekend. Most of the corn crop is still several leaves away from the reproductive stage, but kernel establishment is approaching quickly.

Wheat harvest will soon knock on the door, and hay bales are beginning to dot fields across the area.

Report from Central & West-Central Illinois

West-central/Central Illinois continues to show a diverse story, a story similar to the diverse north to south story in Illinois as a whole.

A tour west and north will show beans pushing a fourth trifoliate on better than 60% of acres. Some corn is flirting with 8 leaves with 2 out of every 10 fields well into 7.

Cross the River to the east, traveling to Springfield and crop growth & development remains exceptional. Better than 2/3 of the bean crop is pushing into V4. 75-80% of fields have corn in the V5 stage. At least 10% of crop sits at 6 to 7 leaves.

V5 to V6 stage corn only makes up about 30% of the corn crop as you move from Springfield to Taylorville with most of the crop in the three to four leaf stage (nearly 60%). Barely 20% of the bean crop had thought about V4 by the end of the week with better than half the crop closer to V2-V3.

Running south of Taylorville and just north of the wet line that has been Route 16 shows nearly a third of the bean and corn crop just past cotyledon stage or first leaf.

Mid to late week rainfall totals hit 1 inch to a few inches. Early week saw a fair amount of post-herbicide applications in fields.

West-Central/ Central Illinois Report 5/15/25

The week in Central/ West Central Illinois again acted as a snapshot for the diverse story in Illinois as a whole.

Northern and eastern portions started the week off “nearly complete.” In some cases corn and beans in the Carthage, Quincy, Pittsfield, and Jacksonville area stood at nearly 90% planted.

East of Springfield, moving toward Decatur and Taylorville, corn began the week at better than 80% planted with beans anywhere from 60-75% planted.

The creep toward Route 16 saw a dramatically different story with a line from Shelbyville running up to Carlinville struggling to best 25% planted.

Spotty showers caused occasional delays but most of the area saw weather suited to make planting progress if soil conditions allowed.

Major points of concern for the week circled around crusted soils that cut into final stands and weed pressure breaking through pre-emerge chemistry.

The wheat crop began to head out in the area. The earliest beans passed second trifoliate, and some early corn fields began to near V5.

West Central & Central IL Report for the Week of May 5

Planting progress is a diverse story in this part of Illinois. As reported last week, the western/north western portion of the area is well ahead of the planting curve.

Areas around Pittsfield, Illinois are nearing 75% planted at the least, and areas around the Illinois River Bottoms stand at a very similar levels of progress (nearly 70%).

Progress is equally impressive toward the Jacksonville area.

A drive east or south tells a different story. The region around and south of Carlinville may struggle to hit 25% and areas south and east of Decatur would struggle to hit those totals as well.

Two-thirds of the planted soybean crop has emerged. A portion of that has hit the two trifoliate stage but most of that crop would be at the unifoliate to early trifoliate stage.

Waterhemp seedlings are evident in some fields, and where growers are able – they are double checking stands, seeing if their final stand matches their initial goal.

Conversations have often clustered around how fast beans have emerged this year, how wooly some fields have become and how welcome sunshine has been given a long stretch of overcast wet days.

The story in western and central Illinois seems to be a tale (once again) of two extremes. An abundance of progress in western Illinois row crops being planted (last week pushing 50-60% – this week much higher than that). Getting first trifoliates and thinking about second in some of the earliest planted fields (early being March planted and yes…. some February). Cut to the south east area, butting up towards Lake Shelbyville, and they finally were given a shot this week. Before that (end of last week), you would be lucky to say 10% in many areas. More rainfall as of mid-week, enough to have stalled any planting for a day or two. Cutworm concerns growing & wheat in the southern part of that area will be thinking about boot soon.